Mission Possible

I've been thinking hard about my race strategy for the last few days,
just as everyone else has. It's difficult to judge how I'll hold up --
the cough hasn't disappeared and a 3-mi test run yesterday indoors
probably wasn't the greatest barometer of what I will do come Sunday.

But I do know that I have trained hard for 15 of the 18 weeks. I took a
week off in September, and basically these last two of the taper. I hit
that proverbial wall during my one-and-only 20-miler, but now that I've seen it, I know what I have to do to
get past it. I am hoping spectators, the Chicago blogging family, my
other fans (you know who you are), and my sheer will, will all combine
as a force to see me to the end of this very long road. But that's only
part of it. I also trust in my training.

Along the way, I set some mini, and very attainable
, goals. All designed to make me think about how I run and how to
improve, and to keep me focused on a series of sm
aller projects toward to the big show. Each one accomplished.

But the very first goal I had, the most important one, is one that pops
up everyday on this page -- right there in the title. A 26.2-mile
Goal: A journal of one Toronto girl's goal to complete
the 2006 Chicago marathon.

This is all I want. To complete. Get A Finishing Medal.

Over the course of this training for my first marathon, I've done very
little of the fancy things like V02max, fartleks, hill training, keeping
track of my heart rate, etc. etc. But I don't feel any less prepared.

Time matters very little to me, but enough to for me to say I want no
part in being moved to the sidewalk. Based on my half-marathon result,
the McMillan Running Calculator says I should be able to do it in
4:52:27. I don't want to make excuses ahead of the race, but I can't
ignore this cough. It's there and I now do not believe it will go away
in time. It should be factored in. I don't intend to take unnecessary
walking breaks, but I must respect what my body tells me. There is
no shame in going for a long walk here. It's not what I want to
do, but I will if I must. But I will finish and I'll
still PR. :)

So I expect to finish, and finish somewhere with a 5-hour-and-change
time stamp.
But as my sister M so beautifully reminded me:

not just anyone can run and walk 26.2 miles. you've been
training for it and you can. Dont' you think in a way the 20 miles that
you ran was quite a feat in itself? i know the whole goal was to the
marathon, but really, the goal was for you to train and get fit. and
look how fit you are...skinny minnie! by all accounts, i'd say you've
already succeeded.

Best of luck to all my Chicago training partners. It's been quite the
journey and we only have a little bit more to go. It is an honor to
share this experience with each and every one of you. Run hard, run
smart, run like you know you can.